StarHub upgrades 3G mobile network with noise-reducing HD Voice

Expect clearer calls starting March 7.

In a release over the weekend, StarHub announced that it is the first mobile operator in Singapore to complete the upgrade of its 3G mobile network with High Definition (HD) Voice, offering its mobile customers significantly better sound quality for local voice calls. HD Voice is a wideband audio technology which allows more speech information to be sent over the air, resulting in clearer mobile voice calls with reduced background noise.

“We pay close attention to the quality of our mobile network and continually find ways to enhance the voice, SMS and data services for customers. Today, voice service continues to be an important communication mode with our customers making millions of voice calls daily on our 3G network. In our ongoing efforts to enhance our mobile network, we are very pleased to bring HD Voice to our customers,” said Mr Chan Kin Hung, Senior Vice President of Personal Solutions, StarHub. 

“Our mobile customers will be the first in Singapore to enjoy natural sounding and clearer voice calls with considerably lesser background noise. Just like how HD video technology presents consumers with an immersive visual experience with sharper images and vibrant colours, HD Voice will significantly enhance our customers’ voice call experience, especially in noisy environments.”

StarHub said it will switch on HD Voice this Thursday (7 March 2013), widening the speech bandwidth across all its 3G mobile base stations. HD Voice is available at no additional charge and does not utilise any mobile data.

To enjoy the benefits of HD Voice calls at launch, both the calling and receiving parties need to be subscribers of StarHub’s new SmartSurf plans – SmartSurf Lite, SmartSurf Value, SmartSurf Premium and SmartSurf Elite – and use HD Voice capable handsets. The HD Voice feature will be progressively enabled for customers on other mobile price plans by the third quarter of 2013.

StarHub currently carries 19 HD Voice handset models including Apple iPhone 5, BlackBerry Z10, LG Optimus G, Samsung GALAXY Note II LTE, Samsung GALAXY S III LTE and Sony Xperia Z. Handsets that support HD Voice are equipped with superior microphones and speakers, further improving voice call quality and reducing background noise. As HD Voice is now appearing as a standard feature in new smartphone models, customers can look forward to selecting from a wider range of handset models that StarHub will soon carry.

With a growing number of mobile operators committed to rolling out HD Voice commercially, StarHub customers will be able to make high-quality international mobile calls on their HD Voice handset in the near future.